Description:

Growing Up in New Zealand has tracked the progress of 6,000 young Kiwis since before birth. Established by the University of Auckland in 2009, it’s Aotearoa’s largest longitudinal study of child development.

The findings of this groundbreaking study are shaping our nation every day. They inform key decisions such as policy development, immunisations, paid parental leave, and early childhood education.

But as the participants reach their teenage years, being part of a major study couldn’t be further from their minds. At age 13, they’re hanging out with friends, playing sports and gaming. Oh, and there’s this little thing called TikTok. The brief was to keep the young cohort engaged, showing them just how important their data is to Aotearoa in a way that felt relevant to their life stage.

Our idea was to transform the participants' data into the ultimate weekend shoe. creating a physical storytelling device about their everyday lives that they could wear in everyday life. The name of these sneakers? The 6,000s. A dedication to the 6,000 rangatahi in this world-leading study.

To make sure we were on trend, we partnered with Vans, producers of the iconic Sk8 Hi - one of the most popular shoes for this age demographic. Vans also have a long history of customisation, so they were up for the challenge and granted us full access to their Custom Lab.

We started by seeding a survey into the study - just like the ones the cohort had been answering since birth. Except this time, we channeled the findings into the design of these shoes, allowing data to dictate the colours, iconography, and overall aesthetic of these kicks.

The finished shoes were showcased via an interactive website where the cohort could explore the details and see what their data had created. Including a launch film that talked to all the other incredible things they had helped the study do over the last 13 years. And, just like a real sneaker drop, we released a limited number of The 6,000s by running a competition to win them on the campaign website.

Every detail of The 6,000s represents the rangatahi’s life stage, preferences, and interests.

For example, 79% of our cohort prefers simplicity, so the dominant palette was black and white paired with small pops of colour for the 21% who said otherwise. Within the iconography we tested, 43% think flames are rad, so they have pride of place in the finished artwork. But, we also acknowledged the 28% who like checks and the 7% who love stripes, by representing these elements sized according to these percentages within the design.

We’ve also incorporated their wider interests and beliefs, including patches for animal welfare, climate change, gaming, and technology. As such, the 6,000s include custom illustrations to allow our participants to proudly display the things that matter most in their world.

Careful consideration was also given to the packaging of these sneakers by transforming the inside lid into a key storytelling touchpoint. Simply scan the QR code, place your phone into the designated area and it comes alive with a robot mouth ready to talk you through all the amazing features of the shoes. It’s a box that can unbox itself.

This work is about meeting our rangatahi in their world. Yes, this data is used to create policy, but it can also be used to bring joy to those who provide it. These sneakers are something the participants could take ownership of, encouraging them to take an interest in the power of their data.

Since the launch of The 6,000s, Growing Up in New Zealand has seen a massive increase in cohort engagement. Over 190 families have rejoined the study - a statistic that can be directly correlated to this campaign through eDM correspondence. It proves that doing something a little different can get big results – an approach the study is embracing going forward.